Hooked Up: Time may be drawing near to plan fall hunt

One of my favorite times of the year is the outdoor show season. We are fortunate enough to live in an area that offers plenty of outdoor fishing and hunting shows, including the huge show held in Grand Rapids every year.

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By Jim Kilchermann, Jr.

Ionia Sentinel - Standard-Ionia, MI

By Jim Kilchermann, Jr.

Posted Feb. 1, 2013 at 12:37 AM
Updated Feb 1, 2013 at 1:26 AM

By Jim Kilchermann, Jr.

Posted Feb. 1, 2013 at 12:37 AM
Updated Feb 1, 2013 at 1:26 AM

MUIR, Mich.

One of my favorite times of the year is the outdoor show season. We are fortunate enough to live in an area that offers plenty of outdoor fishing and hunting shows, including the huge show held in Grand Rapids every year. Campers, sportsmen and outdoor enthusiasts of all types are sure to find most anything they can think of to hold their interest at this show. One area in particular that I like to investigate is all of the outfitters offering hunting and fishing destination packages.

I have never gone on a guided hunt, although it is my plan to do just this one day. I used to be put off by some of the large prices involved with such a package, however, once all of the money spent on lesser local adventures has been tallied up, I think I could actually save some cash on a guided hunt. I may also get a much greater reward in terms of trophy on one of these hunts also. I am not and have never been a fan of fenced-in hunting, but many of these hunts offer fair chase packages that I am certain I would have no problem with.

I am especially interested in an Alaskan fishing trip to the Keni River. This river is home to some of the largest king salmon in the world and frequently sees fish in the 75 to 100 pound range. It is my understanding that much of this fishing is catch and release – which I am a proponent of. I would love to feel a salmon of that size on the end of my line just once!

This is a larger river and the prospects of seeing large numbers of grizzlies and big brown bears feeding on fish would be an added bonus. I have only witnessed a bear feeding on fish once and that was in upper Michigan while on a weekend retreat with my friend Andy Kline and his parents, Ray and Ellen. A few of us kids were going fishing on a small river when we saw a bear on the opposite side of the river. Suddenly the bear crossed the river and we began to run for the cabin! I'll save the rest of this story for another day.

I cannot place enough emphasis on doing a thorough background check on any guide or service that might be chosen for a particular outing. I recently read of the plight a questionable guide used by one of my friends who took a guided mountain lion hunt out west. Despite an uncomfortable start where the guide was suspected of not caring too much about the success of these hunters, a cat was eventually harvested.

Upon arriving home with the meat and pelt, my friend was contacted by federal agents who seized the harvest – pelt and all – due to the failure of the guide to properly fill out required paperwork. It seems there may also be a question on permission to hunt in the actual area the guide took the hunters to kill this cat. Nonetheless, the trophy is gone – never to be returned – and there may also be some fines in the future for an innocent hunter who did nothing more than trust a guide whom he had paid fairly for his services. Lesson here is to ALWAYS research the guide!

Page 2 of 2 - Remember to pick only a reputable guide with several references when choosing to take a guided hunting or fishing package. Remember to attend the local outdoor shows with your friends and family. This is a great way to pass the winter time while remaining connected to the latest offerings in the outdoor world.

I would like to wish a local snowmobile racing team, R&S Racing from Hubbardston best wishes and luck on their efforts at the Soo for the I-500. These boys work their butts off every year and represent our community in the highest level of professionalism. Keep up with I-500 action online at www.sooeveningnews.com. Good luck to all of the racers and remember, it's a great outdoors.

Jim Kilchermann is an avid outdoorsman who enjoys the local outdoor hunting, fishing and camping shows. He can be reached at jimkilchermann@yahoo.com to share an outdoor story or two. Until next time, stay out of the snags and keep all of your shots in the 10 ring.